Harmon Killebrew dies at 74 
MINNEAPOLIS -- Harmon Killebrew, the affable, big-swinging Hall of Famer whose tape-measure home runs made him the cornerstone of the Minnesota Twins and perhaps the most popular player in the team's 51-year history, died Tuesday after battling esophageal cancer. He was 74.

Killebrew is 11th on baseball's all-time home run list after an exceptional 22-year career. His eight seasons with 40 or more homers still is tied for second in league history to Babe Ruth. He was an All-Star at three positions: First base, third base and in the outfield.

Twins catcher Joe Mauer said he felt like he had lost a family member.
"He has treated me like one of his own," Mauer said. "It's hard to put into words what Harmon has meant to me. He first welcomed me into the Twins family as an 18-year-old kid and has continued to influence my life in many ways. He is someone I will never forget and will always treasure the time we spent together."

Along with a statue in Killebrew's likeness outside Target Field, there's a giant bronze glove where fans pose for snapshots -- the glove is 520 feet from home plate, fittingly the distance of his longest home run.